This invention relates generally to a protective mouthguard for use by athletes, and more particularly to a composite mouthguard that absorbs, attenuates and dissipates shock forces exerted on the mouthguard with additional teeth, jaw and joint protecting features and which further increases body muscular strength and endurance.
A number of mouthguards currently exist in the art for protecting the teeth and for reducing the chance of shock, concussions and other injuries as a result of high impact collisions and blows during athletic competition. Mouthguards generally are characterized as being nonpersonalized, universal and stock model type, or are custom formed to have upper jaw and teeth direct contact. Additionally, mouthguards may be tethered or untethered. Tethered mouthguards are usually connected to a fastening point, such as a helmet or face guard, to prevent the chance of the mouthguard from being lost as well as to prevent swallowing of the mouthguard or choking on the mouthguard by the user.
Failure to use a mouthguard or the use of an improperly fitted mouthguard when impacts, collisions or blows occur to the jaw structure of an athlete have recently been found to be responsible for athletes' susceptibility to headaches, presence of earaches, ringing in the ears, clogged ears, vertigo, concussions and dizziness. The cause of these types of health problems and injuries are generally not visible by inspection of the mouth or jaw, but more particularly relate to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and surrounding tissues where the lower jaw is connected to the skull in the proximity where the auriculo-temporalis nerves and supra-temporal arteries pass from the neck nerves into the skull to the brain.
Most mouthguards in the past have been made from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). The material has a softening point approximating the temperature of boiling water which will permit the mouthguard to be placed in boiling water and custom fit to the wearer's mouth. However, the EVA material, although the best known to date, is not ideal for absorption, attenuation and dissipation of shock forces exerted on the EVA mouthguard during athletic activity. Furthermore, the EVA material is subject to deformation and break down with continued use and chewing thereon by the wearer.
There is a need for a mouthguard that may be fit by the user, practitioners, dentists, equipment personnel and trainers that will custom fit with direct contact with the upper jaw's teeth. Such a mouthguard should absorb, attenuate and dissipate shock forces exerted on the mouthguard during athletic activity, permit a positioning of the lower jaw into the power position for increased endurance and muscular power, will facilitate breathing and speech, and will reduce pressure and possible concussion impact upon the cartilage of the joint, the joint itself, the arteries and the nerves in proximity of the joints.